Scars of the Past
by FilAng3l
Summary: FINISHED A man of the past comes back, in his return the team learns something about the two senior CSI's. Past scars and old wounds will come back.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: CSI - isn't mine.  
Spoilers: none  
A/N: Just hope you'd all like it, and if you have some time to spare, please tell me what you think.

Prologue

CSI building lobby ...

"Oh. Hi! I'm looking for Catherine Grissom"

"Catherine Grissom?"

"Uh. Yeah"

"I'm so sorry but there is no Catherine Grissom that works here"

"But this is CSI Las Vegas isn't it?"

"Yea, and the only Catherine that works here is Catherine Willows"

"Are you sure?"

"Ma'am. I have been the receptionist in this building for some time now, and I am definitely sure"

"Okay, so how bout, Gil Grissom?"

"Yes he works here"

"Where can I find him?"

"May I know who you are?"

"I'm an old friend of his"

"Oh I see. Would you like me to call him?"

"No I would like to surprise him."

"Okay. Well he's probably in his office down the hall. Or in the breakroom. Do you want me to accompany you?"

"No thanks, I'll find my way."

"Oh okay"

"Okay, thanks!"

Break room ....

"Who the hell drank all the coffee?!"

"I did" Grissom replied as he appeared on the doorway.

"Gil! That was mine!!"

"Well Catherine, it was still inside the coffee maker, it wasn't on your cup"

"Yea and I said I'd come back for it"

"Well I didn't hear it"

Catherine rolled her eyes. She took the magazine and slumped back to the chair beside Sara. They still have half an hour before shift starts and so all of them took the thirty minutes as an advantage so they could have a little rest preparing for yet another stressful night.

Jim Brass entered the break room and greeted all of them. Grissom started handing out the assignments. Everybody was about to leave the room until ...

"Gil! Cath!!!"

Everybody stared at the woman by the doorway.

Catherine and Grissom stared at the lady.

"Don't you recognize me?" asked the woman

Grissom and Catherine looked at the woman still trying to remember.

"I feel insulted!" she sighed then started singing ... "Cathie and Gil are alone in the lab. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" sang the bubbly woman.

"Oh my god! Mandy??!!!" Catherine concluded with an incredulous tone.

The woman grinned and nodded. Jim stood up and they exchanged hugs.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you. It has been.. What.. um. Seventeen years?" said Catherine.

"Twenty actually" Mandy corrected.

"After twenty years, you finally decided to show up" Grissom teased.

"Cath, do you still work here?" Mandy asked

"Yea. That's why I'm here!"

"How come the receptionist didn't know who you are?"

"What do you mean?"

"I asked for Catherine Grissom she said there's no Catherine Grissom here"

This statement has left Catherine and Grissom speechless. Mandy eyed the two, then she shifted her gaze and found no ring on their fingers.

"Oh man. You guys are divorced already?!" said Mandy sadly. The three younger CSI's in the room became more confused by the minute.

Jim decided to break the silence. "Mandy I would like you to meet the new team. This is Sara Sidle. Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes. Guys this is Mandy, she was part of the old team."

"Hi nice to meet you" they all shook their hands.

"Well. Um, our shift starts already so, we'd catch up with you later, okay?" said Catherine.

"Sure, where's Ecklie?" Mandy asked.

The three younger CSI's quirked their eyebrows. Mandy smirked at them and said, "Every gang has someone they hate the most, in our gang that's Ecklie!"

Catherine and Grissom chuckled. Catherine told her where she could find Ecklie's office. As the whole team left the room.

"Uh. Jim" Mandy called. Jim knew what she was going to ask.

"There was no wedding" he replied before she could even ask

"Wh – "

"Something happened. Some one happened."

= TBC =


	2. Words from Ecklie

Disclaimer: CSI ain't mine!

Spoilers: doubt it!!

A/N: thanks for all the wonderful reviews and I would really like to hear more from you. This part is really short, and truthfully it is the shortest chapter of the fic.

Chapter 1 : Words from Ecklie

It has been a week since Mandy barged into the break room and made all the three younger CSI's of graveyard shift confused. Ever since that night, when she first came by and assumed that Catherine and Grissom were once married, the three younger CSI's of the night shift has been very confused and has been determined to find out what's the real scoop.

They have all tried to ask the older CSI's about it, they've made a lot of attempts and ideas on how to make Catherine, Grissom and even Brass to talk but nothing has worked. None of them has ever considered on confronting the three. Besides the fact that it isn't their business, they know that none of the three aforementioned seniors would really bother to spare them with the story.

"I can't stand this" said Sara

"Can't stand what?" asked the Texan CSI Nick.

"The not knowing!"

"Well, none of them will talk" said Warrick

"How bout Doc Robbins?" Nick suggested

"He's never gonna talk" said Warrick

"I know! What about Ecklie?" Sara suggested.

"You really are desperate aren't you?" Nick retorted

"Don't you guys want to know?" Sara answered back.

And so the three of them headed to Ecklie's office. Ecklie has tried to deny that there used to be something about Catherine and Grissom, until Nick told him about the little slip out Mandy did in front of them. Ecklie realized the three would not stop, but even him could not bring himself to talk about it.

"Come on Ecklie, tell us!" said Sara.

"If you really care or pay any respect to either Catherine and Grissom, you should stop this."

"Are you saying you care and you respect Cath and Gris?" Warrick asked.

"Let's just say that there are things which are best to be forgotten."

With that last statement, the three young CSI's left Ecklie's office. The three of them has agreed to stop on trying to find out what happened before and this is caused by Ecklie's statement on caring and respecting Catherine and Grissom. And though they all know that it must be for the best that they do not know, they can't stop themselves to grow more curious, the last words from Ecklie's mouth wouldn't stop on ringing in their minds.

'Things, which are best to be forgotten.'

Who would have known that even Ecklie could be this affected? That there is a possibility that this man has a heart!

= TBC =


	3. The house under the name of Gilbert Gris...

Disclaimer: CSI ain't mine

Spoilers: none

A/N: Thanks for all the feedbacks, and as you can see I'm updating fast, and your reviews is a big factor of it... so send in those reviews and I promise to hurry up posting the next! )

PS: you know, if you really want to read more greatly written g/c fics, you should check out , trust me you'll love it!

Chapter 2.1 : The house under the name of Gilbert Grissom

"Okay, let's have a recap. Dead children's bodies found in an abandoned house, in a residential area." Sara said as she looked through took her cup of tea and sat down.

"Damn, it doesn't make sense!" Warrick said frustrated.

"It will once Nick gets here with the name of the owner of the house" Sara said as she took a sip of her herbal tea. She and Warrick have been in the breakroom talking about the case while they wait for Nick to arrive.

"Hey guys" Nick greeted as he entered the break room.

"So? Who owns the house?" Sara asked.

"Can either one of you tell me of just how many man could possibly be named as Gilbert Grissom?"

Both Sara and Warrick looked at him quizzically seeing no sense in this question.

"The house is owned by boss" Nick said as he threw the file on the table.

"That can't be right" Warrick objected

"I've checked it a hundred times."

"Well clearly, who ever did this has planned it very well. The killer must be setting Grissom up!" Sara concluded

"Yea so he bought the house and committed the crime after twenty one years?" Nick's voice was full of sarcasm

Warrick and Sara both shared a look so Nick clarified it for both of them, "The house has been bought twenty one years ago by a man named Gilbert Grissom."

Nick slumped down the chair beside Warrick. The three of them sat there in silence trying to make sense of this. They know that there is a very slight possibility that there will be two Gilbert Grissom in Las Vegas. But the possibility of Grissom's connection to these murders is a lot more impossible. They all know that their boss could never do such a thing, but how are they to handle this case? If anybody learns about this, the case will surely be transferred in Ecklie's hands, how are they to work with their own boss as suspect? Doc Robbins told them that the way the children were killed is familiar with him he says that he has encountered that with a case several years ago. First of all they know that it can't be a serial. It's a multiple homicide that is very familiar with Doc Robbins and dead children's bodies in Grissom's abandoned house.

Grissom has an abandoned house?' they all thought incredulously.

Catherine is out on a solo case. Grissom took three days leave to attend a seminar and is expected to come back that very night. None of the three had a chance to see him yet, since Brass paged them all before Grissom arrived.

"Are you three okay?"

The three younger CSI's were surprised with the voice. As they glanced up they saw Catherine looking at them worriedly.

"Uh. Yeah. Um. Cath, can I ask you a question?" Nick stammered

"Okay"

"Do you know any house Grissom owns besides his town house?"

"No"

"Are you familiar with this address?" Sara handed a piece of paper to Catherine where she scribbled down the address of the crime scene. Catherine got the paper from Sara. She looked at it and read the address. Catherine's eyes grew, "Where did you get this?"

"That address belongs to a house registered under the name of Gilbert Grissom." Warrick stated.

Catherine shook her head from side to side, still wearing a disbelieving look on her face. She rushed out the break room, and ran to Grissom's office. Once she got there she pushed the door open.

Grissom looked up from the file he was reading, seeing the pissed look on Catherine's face he stood up but before he could say anything,

"Why didn't you tell me you never sold OUR house!?!"

TBC


	4. The house under the name of Gilbert Gris...

Disclaimer: CSI isn't mine

Spoilers: none

A/N: more on G/C past on the next chapter, you might get a little confused with the alternating use of 20 and 21 years, but it'll all get clearer as we go on. Thanks for all the great reviews! and as to the site I was pertaining to, I'm really sorry it didn't appear, anyway it's actually an archieve site of a yahoogroup, **www. graveshiftcsi .com**

Chapter 2.2: The house under the name of Gilbert Grissom

"What are you talking about?" Grissom questioned.

Catherine threw the piece of paper to Grissom. Grissom got the paper and read the address written down.

"I ­ I"

"You what?!"

"I've already forgotten about it"

"I thought we had an agreement that you're going to sell that house twenty years ago"

"Well why don't you sell the house"

"Damn it, it's in you're name!"

"Okay then, let's go out and sell it now!" Grissom sauntered to the door,

"Fine!" she replied, before either of them could step out the room, a question popped in Grissom's mind.

"When did you remember about the house?"

"The kids were asking me about it"

"How did the kids learned about it?"

This question brought confusion to both of them. Clearly seeing that none of them has any idea they rushed of to the break room to see the three younger CSI's.

---------------------------

"How did you learn about this house?" Grissom asked the moment he stepped in the break room and was able to successfully get everybody's attention.

"Research." Was Nick's plain answer as he gulped hardly, his palms are starting to sweat not knowing what would happen next.

"would anybody please tell me why in the world are you guys doing a research on my house?" Grissom asked in an angry tone which made the three younger CSI's more nervous than they already are.

Nick looked at Sara, Sara looked at Warrick, and Warrick knew that it's his turn to speak.

"Um. Uh. It's uh ­ uh"

Grissom gave Warrick a persistent look.

"It's a crime scene." Warrick blurted out a little to fast.

"What?!"

"It's a crime scene." Warrick repeated this time in a more clearer way.

"Wait, wait. Crime Scene?!" Catherine questioned.

Sara began explaining to them; with this explanation both Catherine and Grissom just couldn't believe any of it.

--------------------------

"Grissom."

"Oh hey Jim"

Jim Brass went inside Grissom's office. He took his seat and cleared his throat.

"Are you here because of the house?"

"Grissom. The house is a crime scene, and it's owned by you. So basically you're the prime suspect. I know that you couldn't possibly do it but we have to be objective in our job. Anyways, I just want you to prepare yourself, the sheriff would surely suspend you until this case is closed."

"He can't do that!"

"Yes he can. And the case, it'll be Ecklie's"

"What!?"

"The sheriff even wanted to fire you Grissom"

This statement made Grissom's jaw dropped. He knows very well that he has nothing to do with this; his job is his life; he also knows that he is one of the best CSI's and never did it occur to him that the sheriff would even dare to think of firing him.

"Look Gil, I'm sorry"

"I. I can't believe this. He can't give the case to Ecklie!"

"He did, he even planned to give the case to the dayshift"

"Planned?"

"Catherine fought for the kids. She was able to persuade the sheriff to let the kids work on the case, but they will still be under Ecklie's supervision"

"Catherine?"

"Yeah. She was also the one who defended your name, that's why you won't be fired. So I suggest you go thank her."

With that one last statement, Jim walked out and left Grissom contemplating.

TBC


	5. Photo Album

Disclaimer: CSI isn't mine and never would be no matter how I wish it is!

Spoilers: none

A/N: thanks for all the feedbacks, I'm really so glad to see it! keep em comin .... pppllleeaazzee!

Chapter 3: Photo Album

"He said he'll meet us here." Said Warrick as he flipped his phone close. Grissom has been suspended for a week now, with nothing to go on to pin the case to anyone nor to prove Grissom innocent, the three younger CSI's have been pulling on double shifts to be able to solve this case.

Luckily Catherine is still on her mind. She's the only one who's been able to live and think straight. For the past week she's been yelling all through out the lab just to get the three CSI's and Greg the lab rat to eat and rest. She's also been visiting Grissom just to make sure that he is doing fine and that he uses this time out to relax.

"Found anything?" Warrick asked as he walked over to Nick.

Nick sighed and shook his head from side to side.

"This is unbelievable! Multiple Homicide without a trace?! We've found no match to any of the swabs we got from the vics! No shoe prints. No witness. Damn this guy is a pro"

Nick and Warrick are both sighing in frustration.

"Um. Guys!" Sara called.

The two guys rushed off to see her, "Found anything?" was Nick's quick question.

"Not sure" Sara answered. She stood up from her position. She was holding a large dusty book enveloped in a silk maroon cloth.

Sara laid the book to the table. Nick and Warrick were standing beside her. Sara opened the book and as it turns out it's a photo album.

"Is that ....???" Nick trailed off trying to figure out if his assumption is correct.

"Maybe. I mean, this is his house, so this is probably Grissom." Said Sara pointing to the man in the picture.

"He looks so handsome." Sara commented which made Warrick grimaced knowing full well that Sara USED to have and probably STILL has a crush with their boss.

"If that's Grissom who's that?" Nick asked pointing to a beautiful woman in her early twenties and is being wrapped by Grissom's arms.

The three studied the picture more carefully, though at the back of their minds they know who the woman is, the fact that she is wrapped around their supervisors arms just made them think twice.

The three looked at each other and in unison .. "Catherine?!"

-------------------------------

November 21, 1982 11:00pm

"What took you so long?" Catherine asked as Marc entered the morgue.

"Well I was caught up. Their having a pictorial back at the break room"

"Pictorial??" Catherine questioned.

"Well apparently it's a slow night and we're the only lucky ones to have the only case of the night!" Marc replied.

"Complaining again guys?" Dr. Al Robbins said as he walked towards the two.

"So what do you have for us?" Marc asked.

"No wait! Gil's not yet here!" said Catherine

The door flew open and Grissom entered the morgue.

"Sorry I'm late!" Grissom apologized as he reached the three people waiting for him.

Grissom kissed Catherine before turning his attention to the two men in the room.

"Could you guys not do that here please?!" Marc asked

"It was just a chaste kiss. Besides you should be used to it by now" Grissom replied with a smirk.

"Doesn't it bother you two that you're kissing in front of a decomposing dead body?" Marc asked with a grim tone.

"Not really." Came Catherine's teasing reply.

---------------------------------------

"Well Cath and Griss are really close friends so maybe it's just a friendly pose" Nick offered.

"Earth to Nick!! Have you forgotten Mandy's 'Oh my god you're divorced already?' statement?" said Sara.

"Well maybe we can ask Ecklie once he gets here." Said Warrick

------------------------------------

November 21, 1982 7:00am

"Hey lovebirds!!"

Catherine and Grissom looked back and saw Ricky running towards them and is followed by Mandy and Gladys.

"What?" Grissom asked with his arms around Catherine.

"Well, we'd like to get a picture of you guys. There's only one shot left and I haven't taken a picture of either of you."

"Oh okay!" Catherine said.

"How's this?" asked Grissom. He is standing behind Catherine with his arms wrapped around her.

click

"Perfect!" Mandy and Gladys said with a giggle.

--------------------------------

Ecklie walked in the house and saw the three CSI's standing by the table looking at something; it seems that none of the three has noticed his presence yet.

"What are you guys looking at?"

TBC


	6. Shells

Chapter 4: Shells

Ecklie sauntered towards the three younger CSI's, as he got there he saw the photo album lying on the table.

"I found this." Said Sara as Ecklie approached them, Ecklie glanced down the object lying on the table. He saw the picture then he flipped to the next page, seeing the picture on the other page he smiled and shook his head from side to side with a sigh as he remembered the good old days.

"Who are these?" Warrick asked.

Ecklie is not much of a social person, he could be really harsh and a lot of people dislike him and it's not like he cares about it, but at that moment looking at the picture it was like he was becoming someone different, it's like when asking a mean person about their old friends.

"This here is Gladys." Ecklie pointed to the oldest woman in the group whom the younger CSI's assumed the second in command next to Brass at that time.

"This is Marc" Ecklie pointed to the blonde man with a muscular built and deep brown eyes, "the heart throb" Ecklie added.

"This is Rick" he pointed to the youngest man in the picture.

"This here is, Mandy. I know you've met her already" in the picture Mandy still looked the same only skinnier, and still wearing that big grin she always has showing her bubbly personality.

"Here's me, and there's Brass" Ecklie's features didn't change but he did look a little better in the picture probably because he was younger and Brass, well, Brass has hair.

"And here of course is Cath and Grissom."

-------------------------------------------------

August 1982, 8:00 am

"Okay guys remember, were in a vacation here. So from this point we're all friends, we're all equal, no one is anyone's boss. Except for Catherine, everyone's gonna be her boss the whole vacation, just to be sure that we all would be safe."

"Hey!!" Catherine pouted at Brass's joke as everybody else laughed.

The lab techs and all the other employees ran off to the cottage while the eight members of the Vegas graveyard shift stayed behind for a quick pictorial.

"Mel! Mel! Wait! Could you please take a picture of us?" Mandy asked the young lab tech.

"Okay, one, two, three, smile!"

click

------------------------------------------------

"Okay well, I'd take this you guys process the scene." Ecklie instructed as he closed the photo album and bagged it.

------------------------------------------------

August 1982, 10:30 am

Everyone is having a great time, lab techs are playing beach volley ball while the others are having a great time in the water. Most of the senior CSI's are either doing the barbeque or sound asleep in the cottage.

"Where's Gil?" Catherine asked as she started looking around for her friend

"Probably sleeping!" Gladys jested.

Catherine walked her way back to Gil who is silently watching the lab techs play volley ball. Brass is seating next to him and is engaged with a conversation with Al Robbins.

Gladys and Marc walked along with her to get some drinks.

"Gris why don't you come with us?" Catherine asked

"Nah. I'm not really in the mood."

Catherine sighed as she started thinking of a way to get her friend to join them in the fun.

"Marc could you toss me a can of soda please." Gladys asked and Marc tossed her the soda she wanted, seeing this action the little light bulb above Catherine's head lit up.

"Marc could you give me a soda, one from the bottle" as Catherine got her soda, she shook it, she walked closer to Gil then opened the soda it the liquid burst out.

Gil's jaw opened with Catherine's childish act.

Catherine started running off when she saw Gil grabbed one can of soda from the cooler and started shaking it. Grissom ran after Catherine still shaking the can of soda. When he finally got closer to her, he grabbed her by the waist and opened the can from above her head.

Brass, Gladys, Al and Marc were just standing there watching the two.

"It's amazing how she can do that. I can't believe that's Grissom, the serious guy who loves his bugs and is not at all fond of socializing." Marc said

"Things love makes out of you." Gladys muttered.

"You guys think he'll ever tell her?" asked Al

"It's not in his character" said Marc

"Right. And running around the beach wet with soda is his character?" Gladys quipped

"Maybe she'll be the one to make the first move" said Al

Brass smirked and said, "Now THAT is in character!"

Grissom started walking back, Catherine stepped a little backwards then started running and jumped behind Grissom for a piggy-back ride.

"YOU just had to do that without warning didn't you!" Grissom reacted as he felt the sudden weight on his back.

Catherine giggled, and pinched Grissom's cheek. "Don't do that!"

"What?"

"That!"

"This?" Catherine again pinched Grissom's cheek.

"Yes! That"

"Oh okay I won't do THIS again" and again she pinched his cheek.

Grissom reached his other co-workers with Catherine still riding on his back.

"Told you someone needs to look after her just so we could be safe." Brass joked

Catherine playfully stuck her tongue out which made everybody there laughed.

------------------------------------------------

"We still haven't completely searched the bedroom right?" Sara asked

"No we haven't. This house has really been abandoned, it's hard to move if we clean up or move a little faster we might destroy evidence." Warrick answered.

"Where's Nick?" Sara asked

"I'm in here!!" Nick response from a distance.

Nick walked his way to Warrick and Sara, "Look what I found inside the bedroom"

"Are those...."

"Shells?"

TBC


	7. Pretend it never happened

(disclaimer, spoiler.. see prev chaps)

A/N: Thanks for the feedbacks, and sorry if the chapters are too short, and I really can't do anything about it anymore coz...well (okay I'll tell you now) I've already finished this fics probably weeks or a month ago... so there, now you know, and I promise to update more if you give me reviews!! lolz

Chapter 5: Pretend it never happened

November 1982

"Mandy you're with Gil and Catherine. Oh, no, no, no, Gladys take Mandy and Ecklie with you, I'll take Catherine and Rick with me, and Marc you're with Gil." Jim gave the assignments as they all walk down the corridor.

"And I thought I could work with Gil and Cath!" Mandy said with a frown. Mandy is one of those wacky and hopeless romantic people, she's been watching the development of Catherine and Grissom's relationship, it's not that she's the only one watching it's just that she's the only one who finds it enthralling and just loves it as if she's watching her favorite love team in the most romantic film of the century.

"Speaking of Gil and Cath, where are they?" Rick asked as he looked around and didn't see either of them.

"Probably in the break room" Gladys said.

All of them walked towards the break room, as they were about to enter they all froze to their position with jaws dropping.

Catherine is tightly wrapped within Grissom's arms and is passionately kissing oblivious that the whole night shift is staring at them.

Grissom felt eyes staring at him, he opened his eyes and slightly backed away and saw his co workers watching and smirking at them. Catherine cringed when she realized that people have been staring at them.

"When?" Mandy's curiosity rose.

"Uh. Two nights ago." Catherine muttered.

--------------------------

Catherine sighed as she kept on reading the new findings on her case; she's on her way to the DNA lab.

As she reached the lab and found it empty she couldn't help but smile when a scene from two decades ago started to play out.

--------------------------

January 1983

Catherine entered an empty DNA lab, she was about to leave but then Gil entered the room and closed the door.

Catherine's eyebrow quirked as she stared at the mischievous grin her boyfriend is wearing.

"Hello beautiful"

"Hi handsome" Catherine smirked as Grissom walked towards her; his hand snaked around her waist and pulled her to him. Their lips met; her hands slowly went around his neck. They both savored the moment of being alone until ...

"Jesus Christ! I just turn my head and you disappear! Gil, can't you really stand an hour or two without sneaking out to see Catherine?!!" Marc's pissed off tone vibrated through the whole room.

"No. I can't" Grissom jested which caused Marc to roll his eyes and Catherine to chuckle.

Grissom gave Catherine a wink before following Marc out the lab.

"Hey hon!"

Catherine called out so Grissom looked back, Catherine just grinned at him.

Grissom sighed realizing Catherine called for his attention just to smile at him, "See you later Cathie!"

Catherine giggled as she threw him a flying kiss.

--------------------------

Catherine sighed and muttered, "Those were the days" as she entered the break room.

"Hey Cath!"

Catherine acknowledged the greetings of the three younger CSI's.

"So, have you found anything?" Catherine asked pertaining to the case.

"It was pretty messy there but we found a lot of things." Said Sara

"Like what?"

"Like shells, an old photo album oh and a bunch of cards which is similar to the ones attached to flowers, anyways all of it basically has the same content. To: Cathie, I love you. From: Gil." Nick answered.

Catherine was about to leave the room not wanting where she thinks the conversation is going.

"Umm. Cath." Warrick stopped her before she could get out.

"What happened?" Warrick inquired.

"There are things you'd rather think never happened and never talk about it." Catherine answered without turning to face Warrick.

"So what, you can stand working with him for years but you can't accept what happened or forget about it??" Sara asked incredulously

This time Catherine turned to face the three. "When you intentionally forget about something it means you are aware it happened but you'd rather not think about it, in my case I choose to think that it never did happen, and you know what it did worked for the past twenty years, it worked until ...."

"Why?" Nick inquired.

"Coz sometimes when something is too perfect and it has to end it hurts so much that you can never forget about it. You can't forget about it coz it's hard to accept so all you're left to do is to think and to pretend that it really never did happen, or else you will be left with as much pain and regret as you can ever attain in this lifetime."

TBC

A/N: What do you think??? please review!


	8. The engagement

(disclaimer..spoilers.... see prev. chaps)

A/N: please review! and I do hope you enjoy... )

Chapter 6: Engagement

June 1983

"That woman is checking Gil out" Mandy whispered to Catherine as they both waited for Gil to finish the interview with the witnesses.

"I can see that"

"Aren't you jealous?"

"No actually I feel flattered that she is so into MY MAN"

"Really?"

"Yep"

"What if he flirts with her?"

"Okay, now that's a different story. I'm telling you Mands if he bats even an eyelash in that woman's way he is so dead!"

-------------------------

Catherine is currently doing her paperwork inside 'her office'. Since Grissom has been suspended, she has taken over the nightshift, and by taking over, it means literally. She's been doing everything, all the cases that comes in is hers. She did not bother taking any other member of the night shift team since that case is priority. She has taken Greg with her working on the cases and trying her very best not to show her so called 'kids' that she's having a hard time.

As Catherine continued on signing some papers, she paused for a moment, then she furrowed. She let go of the pen and stared at her finger as memories of the past flashed in her mind.

--------------------------

July 1983

Its seven o'clock of a Monday morning, Catherine is still asleep, she has been given a two day vacation since she has been pulling doubles and has been very stressed out with the last case she has worked on.

Catherine reluctantly woke up as she heard noise coming from outside her bedroom, just as she was about to get up her bedroom door swung open.

The sight of the person in the doorway carrying a tray washed all Catherine's sleepiness away, "Gil!" a wide grin spread across her face.

"Good morning sunshine."

Gil walked over to her and bent lower to give her a quick kiss then he placed the tray down, "Breakfast in bed!" Gil said ardently.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Catherine questioned then glanced at her wall clock, "Oh no, you are not supposed to be at work you're suppose to be sleeping!" Catherine's tone suddenly became frustrated.

"Well, it was a slow night so I'm not really tired. But I promise you I'll go home and sleep later."

"Gil!" Catherine pouted

"What?"

"Don't go home, sleep here."

Grissom looked at Catherine, he has been trying to formulate a plan and as TRYING is the operative word, which means until now he have not been successful on thoroughly finishing the plan but luckily at that line Catherine has opened a way for him to do it, this is the perfect timing ... right here ... right now.

"Catherine isn't you getting a little tired of this?" Gil said with a grim.

Catherine's back stiffened panic starting to flow in her nerves with the words that came out of Gil's mouth and the way he has said it.

"Wha - What do you mean?" Catherine stuttered

"I mean, this. I come over here then I sleepover then I go home they you come by my place then you sleep there you stay for a few days then you come back here."

"Well then what do you want to do?" Catherine asked reluctantly. There is this fear inside her, this past few days Gil has been acting different, he's hiding something from her, she knows he wants to tell her something but doesn't know how, she didn't want to nudge him to spill instead she just patiently waited and now all she can do is hope for the worst.

"Why don't we just stop it?"

Already she's starting to cry though she's fighting it, it is obvious, for her eyes are both starting to water and her voice is starting to tremble, "Gil- -"

Gil interrupted her, "Why don't we provide each other with only one home?"

"You mean living together?" a grin is starting to show in Catherine's face then she continued, "We are going to be live-in partners now huh."

"No actually we will be ... this only if you will say yes, we'll be a ...." Gil got a small velvet red box; he opened it and continued, "Married couple". With that Gil stood up and bent his knees.

"Will you marry me?"

Catherine looked at him in the eyes, she was speechless, and again tears are forming in her eyes but this time this is tears of joy.

"Are you sure I'm already awake?" Catherine was a bit hesitant with the reality of the situation since she has been dreaming of him asking her hand in marriage for so many times and right after she says yes she wakes up and realize that it was just a dream.

"Cathie – "

"Yes!" Catherine knelt beside Gil, he placed the ring in her finger and wiped her tears away.

"I love you"

"I love you too."

"Damn, I can't believe I got engage wearing a pajama!"

--------------------------

A small laugh got out of Catherine's mouth. She still has that pajama, she has never wore it, touched it, opened it, looked at it or even acknowledge it's existence though at the back of her mind she knows its there. She never once tried to even throw it away because she knows that no matter how much she denies it a part of her still haven't and would probably never let go of that past. That once was beautiful past.

'Maybe, just maybe, I could stop on trying to forget everything of the past. I have learned a long time ago that someday I would find myself reminiscing about this but it has never occurred to me that it will happen this soon. Maybe I could forget the hurt and remember the good times. Though remembering how good it WAS is just as painful; I should stop crying because it ended instead I should smile cause it happened.' Catherine thought

"Hey Cath!" Greg's voice broke Catherine from her reverie.

"Oh um. Hey Greg"

"Brass called, he said you weren't answering his calls. He's waiting for us at the crime scene"

At the crime scene ...

Catherine just finished checking out the whole scene for probably the fortieth time. This case is to be closed already and Catherine was just making sure there is nothing which they have missed.

"Catherine!!"

Catherine turned her head to see the person who has called her. Catherine looked at the man and tried to remember him.

"Olive!?!"

"Who else?"

After chatting with the man wearing a pink scarf around his neck Catherine got inside her car with Greg.

"So um, who was that?"

"Olive."

"Olive?"

"Oliver, but he wants to be called Olive"

"Old friend?"

"He was my wedding planner."

"I didn't know you and Eddie had a wedding planner."

"No, he's not the wedding planner in my wedding with Eddie, we didn't have a wedding planner it was barely even planned."

"Then whose wedding planner is he?"

"Gil and mine."

TBC

A/N: I really didn't make the proposal to be in some romantic setting, I think with all the flash backs I've placed enough fluff in this fic! lolz


	9. The other room

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys!! and I do hope that you'll continue reading and reviewing this fic.

PS: were you guys able to open the site which I was pertaining to??

(disclaimer.. spoilers - see prev chaps)

Chapter 7 : Another room

It has been days and there is still no lead on the case, the team is becoming more frustrated and tends to forget to rest and eat.

Catherine entered the lay out room she found Sara sitting on the chair reading the case file intently over and over again. Warrick on the opposite chair is reviewing the evidences and photos while Nick is obviously in deep thoughts. All of them were oblivious to her presence but it was not oblivious to Catherine that the three have not eaten and had a proper rest since God knows when.

"Nick, Warrick, Sara" Catherine called in a high tone which startled all three.

"You! You and You! Drop everything you're doing and follow me" Catherine commanded.

Catherine led the three in the break room; she served them with every thing inside the fridge.

"When was the last time you guys had a proper meal?" Catherine asked after serving the food and settling herself on one of the chairs, none of the three younger CSI's dared to answer.

Catherine sighed then asked, "Okay well, when was the last time you guys went home?"

"I was home last night"

"Me too"

"And me."

The three defensively replied, Catherine is skeptical, "And by that I shall hope that that would mean you all got eight hours of sleep."

Sara, Nick and Warrick all glanced at each other.

"Oh Jeez! Guys, please stop torturing yourselves!"

"We are not torturing ourselves" Nick replied

"We can't stop, we need to solve this case" said Sara

"Look, I know that this case is priority, I know we all want to clear Grissom's name but you can't just forget yourselves! How in the world do you think you could solve this case with sleepy eyes and starving stomach?"

Grissom is sitting inside his car parked right outside of the CSI building; he has not been there for a week and a half now. Those days that he didn't have work, he had a lot of time to think, think not about an insect, a case, a victim or what so ever but to think of himself, of his life.

He is holding in his hands a white envelope which inside contains the letter where the biggest decision of his career life in written down. His letter of resignation.

As Grissom entered the building on his way to the director's office he saw the glimpse of that strawberry blonde's hair and he just couldn't help himself from peeking inside the break room. The first week of his absence, Catherine has seen to it to drop by everyday but this past days she has not even gave him a call.

"How do you do it?" Nick asked

"Do what?"

"Be always independent, strong. Don't you ever get tired? Pressured?"

"I always do you just don't see it"

"Really?" Nick asked disbelievingly

"Yea, go ask Warrick" Catherine glanced at the man sitting beside Nick. Catherine has always been very close to him, he has always been there, and he has seen her on the low points of her lives ... ever since that accident with Holy Gibbs' death, Warrick has taken the new leaf of making sure that she is safe.

"You know it's really hard; to always be independent, to always stand still." Sara said based from her own experience

"It's even harder when you're a single mother and has a murdering millionaire as a father." Warrick commented as he glanced back at Catherine.

"That's why I have Gil." Said Catherine with a smile, this statement has left the three in puzzlement.

"Well, when things are too tough, when it's so hard to stand still, I take a break, I lean on something ... I lean on him."

After hearing this statement Grissom turned away and left. He started the ignition of his car and crumpled his letter of resignation, he couldn't do it...

He couldn't leave

He couldn't leave her.

Grissom is now parked a few meters away the house which became part of his unforgettable past.

He has gained a lot of beautiful memories, beautiful and happy memories.

Memories which he tried to forget over the past years ....

Memories that make him smile at first but in the end makes him not only sad....

But pained ....

Empty.

-------------------------

August 1983

"Gil ... "

"Hmm??"

"This isn't the way neither to your place nor mine"

"I know"

"Where are we going?"

There was no reply. Catherine kept on nudging him to tell her where they are going but he chose to keep his mouth shut which only made Catherine more curious and frustrated. It was only when Grissom pulled the breaks that Catherine closed her mouth.

Grissom led her towards the house, he was about to open the door when Catherine interrupted him and asked, "Are we where I think we are?"

Grissom opened the door and announced, "Welcome to our new home!"

Catherine was over whelmed with happiness. She entered the house and started wondering around, "Can we move in even before the wedding?"

"Well, I'm going be moving in already, it's your choice whether you want to move in with me now or wait till the wedding."

"You know I don't like waiting!"

Grissom chuckled as he grabs his soon-to-be-wife on the waist and gave her a kiss.

"Too bad Mandy won't be here on our wedding." Grissom said.

"Well, who knows, maybe she'll be back by then, she did say she's going to come back"

"Yea but she didn't say when."

Mandy their co-worker and friend needed to go home urgent; all she told the team was that something happened to her mother so she needs to go home and that she'll be back.

"I still can't believe we're getting married"

"I still can't believe you're mine"

"Love you Gil"

"Love you too Cathie."

--------------------------

Sara, Warrick and Nick went back to the crime scene. The house is a total wreck inside, and that was probably why it's so hard to get any kind of evidence.

As Warrick looked around he noticed that there was a door there, is seemed like a wall, it was only when he saw a crack from the side that he had a thought of the possibility that it really is a door, Warrick knocked on it and on the other side of the wall to test the difference in its sound, after observing that it does differ he kicked it open.

"Hey, uh guys!" Warrick called.

Sara immediately reached him and is as stunned as Warrick.

"What did you see?" Nick asked as he headed his way to Warrick and Sara, Nick gave the two a quizzical look then glanced at the object or rather the room that two are gazing to.

"Is that a, a- - "

"A nursery room"

TBC


	10. The Evidence

A/N: Again thanks for all the reviews, and sorry for all the evil chapter endings (lolz) and I really can't post two chaps at the same time coz ... I'm really enjoying the suspense (hehehe!!) anyways, I'm just glad you're liking it and I do hope to read more reviews!

Chapter 8: Evidence

Catherine is now on her way to Grissom's. It's been a while since she has talked to him, this past few days memories of their past has been visiting her thoughts more often that she has ever anticipated. The day she has accepted Eddie back into her life she has swear to never think of the past ever again. She has managed to block from her mind everything that has happened in the year 1982 to 1983 and for years it has been working.

It's amazing isn't it? To block your own memories of certain things .... But the mind is not that great though, coz all it can do about memories such as this is to block it from coming back ... to block it but not erase it.

Catherine is now standing a few feet away the door of Grissom's house, she is still doubtful of whether or not she should knock.

"Catherine, you guys are friends, it's not his fault that you can't stop thinking about it!" Catherine talked to herself, she sighed then realized, "Oh no wait a sec, I'm blaming too much of this to myself, if he has sold the house like what we have both agreed years ago then maybe I wouldn't be reminded of the past!"

After sighing heavily for the second time, Catherine knocked on Grissom's door.

------------------------------

October 1983

"Aren't you supposed to be the one doing this? After all this is your kitchen." Grissom said still holding the spatula in one hand while the other hand is holding onto the handle of the frying pan.

Catherine giggled to the sight in front of her, Gil with an apron a spatula and a frying pan.

"Technically, this isn't my kitchen yet, we have to wait till December" said Catherine.

Grissom has already moved in to the house, they have both decided to wait till after the wedding before Catherine lives there too, though most of her belongings are already there.

Gil walked towards Catherine, "Till December huh. You see that closet?" Grissom used the spatula he is holding to point at the closet from the bedroom that is vividly seen from the kitchen,

"What about it?" Catherine asked

"Well that closet is filled with your clothes and you do not even live here yet, where am I supposed to put my clothes once you settle in?"

"That is why I keep the boxes of the appliances honey, so that you'll have storage for your clothes" Catherine jested which caused Gil to roll his eyes.

Gil sighed as Catherine laughed at him; he walked a few more steps closer to her and touched her face. "I really can't wait to marry you." Gil said with all sincerity. Catherine smiled, her eyes starting to form tears as she looked at his eyes ... his eyes that show so much love and passion, the same emotion that is reflected in her own eyes. "Me too" she murmured as he enveloped her with a kiss.

Grissom has already returned to his cooking and Catherine continued watching him.

"Gil"

"Hmm??"

"About the wedding..."

"What about it?"

"Well we have a problem"

Grissom turned to face her, "Olive told me everything's okay"

"Yea well, Olive doesn't know this yet, I want you to be the first one to know."

Grissom became puzzled on what Catherine is trying to say.

"Well, my wedding gown might not fit me by December"

"You didn't gain any weight Cathie"

"Yea but I'm pretty sure I will."

Grissom became more confused. Catherine continued, "I went to the doctor earlier today", Grissom turned of the stove and walked over to Catherine with a worried look on his face.

"Why? What's the matter? Are you sick? Are you feeling alright?"

"Whoa! Slow down on the questions honey!"

"Catherine."

Catherine looked at him in eye, she took a deep breath before speaking, "Gil, we're having a baby."

------------------------------

"Hey Gil, can I use your computer? I'm just going to check something"

"Sure."

Catherine walked towards the laptop settled on top of the bar. It looks like Grissom has just used it because it wasn't even shut down yet. Catherine saw a file minimized on the toolbar of the computer screen, she was about to go over the AOL icon to use the internet and ignore the file when the filename of the document caught her eye. To her curiosity she clicked the document to maximize it and saw what was inside.

Catherine stood up with anger and disappointment filling her nerves. She grabbed her purse and was about to leave when Gil came back from his bedroom, "Hey Cath are you finish with ---"

Grissom stopped mid sentence when he saw Catherine's eyes flaming with anger.

"Cath are you okay?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Wh – "

"Don't even try to deny it Grissom, I read your resignation letter from your computer."

"Catherine I have changed my mind I'm no longer resigning"

"You love your job so much I doubt that you decided on this just like a flash. Why didn't you even mention it to me?"

"Cath – "

"That time, when we were doing the recommendation, when I asked you if you were planning to go somewhere ..... You were already thinking about this, huh?"

"Cath it doesn't matter – "

"It does! It does matter! This is just like about your hearing all over again. All you do is drop me with little statements and I'm supposed to figure it all out from that."

"Hey, I told you about my hearing!"

"Yea! The day of your surgery!"

"....."

"If you didn't change your mind, when were you planning to tell me?"

"..."

Catherine smirked with disgust.

She raised her hand, with her thumb by her ears and her small finger near her mouth pretending it's a telephone, "Hello Catherine? Hi it's me Gil, well I'm at the airport right now, I have already resigned and I'm about to leave in an hour, I'll see you when I see you. Bye!"

"I have never planned to tell you that way"

"Of course you're not! You weren't planning to tell me!!"

With that Catherine walked out the house and sped off to her home.

------------------------------

October 1983

Gil is busily painting the wall of the room which as planned is the nursery room. Catherine entered the house with a pizza box on one hand and a bottle of soda on the other.

"Gil honey, come on its chow time!" Catherine called.

Gil went out of the room sweating and wearing over-alls filled with paint. Catherine grabbed a towel and started to wipe off the sweat and paint on Gil's face.

"You know, that part of the house is pretty small not to mention secluded, why don't we just use the other room for the baby?" Catherine asked as they both settled in the dining

"Well, our baby will be using the bigger room in a few years, but right now I want her – "

"Or him!"

"Right now I want her OR HIM to stay on the space closest to our room, so that it will be easier for us to reach the baby when it cries"

"So once the baby grows, that room will be vacant. Can I use it as my closet then?"

"Oh, I have the feeling that that room won't stay vacant as often as you think."

"Gil, I'm telling you I am not giving birth to ten children!!"

"What about eight?"

"No!"

"Seven?"

"No!"

"Six."

"Four." Catherine bargained.

"Alright four!"

"Have you thought of a name for our baby girl?"

"Why is it you want to have a baby girl? Most men want to have a son."

"I'm not most men."

Catherine gave him a playful glare.

"Well I want a son too, but as much as possible I would want to have my first child be a girl."

"Have you thought of a name?"

"What about Catherine. I've always loved that name."

"Shut up."

"It's true!"

"You don't have to awe me coz I'm marrying you no matter what happens!"

"I know"

"So what about the name Sara?"

Gil grimaced with his tongue sticking out, "I never liked that name!"

------------------------------

"So, why is it that the killer left the murder weapon in the room? He made everything so clean then he leaves the weapon inside the house?!" Ecklie asked as he learned about the new developments on the case.

"The house is a mess; if I didn't see that crack I wouldn't have guessed there's another room there!" Warrick answered.

Nick nodded, "Well, first is, it won't be with him, second it won't be anywhere near his destination and besides even if he did left the weapon, he didn't leave a single print."

Nick, Warrick and Ecklie are all exasperated. Nick and Warrick are doing their best to solve this case for Grissom. Grissom has been like a father to them, they know that he has nothing to do with it and though the fact that there is no evidence that could point the crime to Grissom - besides the known truth that that house belongs to him, there is also no evidence to rule him out.

Ecklie on the other hand is exasperated for his career is on the line. As much as Grissom and he hate each other's guts, it will be a shame if he is to supervise the team of the second best crime lab in the country and still not be able to solve the case.

"Are we even sure that that's a nursery room?" Nick asked as he glanced at Warrick, Warrick glanced back at him, "If a room painted with white, pink and blue with a dresser designed with balloons and a cradle at the center does not look like a nursery to you, I don't know what does!"

"Cath and Gris have a pass, Gris has an abandoned house and there's a nursery room meaning Cath and Gris were ...." Nick trailed off as he looked at Ecklie, Warrick too looked at the older man too, and both younger CSI's are waiting for an answer, Ecklie sighed and was about to spill until Sara arrived with a grin on her face.

"Guys! I left my flashlight inside the nursery room so I came back for it and I found something"

"What did you find?" All three men asked, temporarily dismissing the talk they were having earlier.

"A strand of hair, I ran it and I got a name."

"Yes!!" Nick and Warrick both stood up and jumped with joy.

"So, what's the name of our guy?" Ecklie asked as he rose from his seat.

"Adam Copperfield"

Ecklie shook his head and sighed, "That's impossible. "

"Why?" confusion written all over the three younger CSI's faces

"Coz that guy has been dead for twenty years."

TBC


	11. The man inside the other room

A/N: thanks for the reviews! you guys rock!! and I really hope to see more... plleeaazzee... okay so here's the 9th chapter, hope you'll enjoy it!

(disclaimer, spoiler etc... see prev chaps)

Chapter 9: the man inside the other room

"Are you sure he's dead? A strand of hair couldn't have lasted on a dusty abandoned house for twenty years and still be a good source for DNA don't you think?" Sara said with a furious tone.

The first and only suspect they have besides their boss, the name of that man has somehow eased a little of their frustrations and fear that their 'father' would end up in jail for a case they all knew could never be of his doing.

"What's the color of his hair?" Ecklie asked

"White" Sara said as a matter of factly.

A smile is forming into Ecklie's face.

"Why what's the real hair color of Mr. Copperfield?" Warrick asked

"Black"

"Well, black hairs become white as time goes by."

"That's exactly my point Nick"

------------------------------

"Hey Greg, where's everyone?" Jim Brass asked when he saw the lab rat walking at the hallway.

"Cath's on her way here, Ecklie is with Nick, Sara and Warrick interrogating the new suspect, I wanted to see him for myself but I have a lot of work to do and the guys said no one is allowed to go there to take a peek"

"Their interrogating a new suspect?!" Brass said and from his tone of voice it is obvious that he has no knowledge of this new development of the case.

------------------------------

Nick, Warrick and Sara are all sitting outside the interrogation room waiting for Ecklie's signal before they go inside. All of them sat there and stared at the wall and the man inside the room.

It took them days before finding that one strand of hair. It took them one more day contemplating whether or not they are really looking for a man or a ghost, but as to what Ecklie has said they never found his body.

On the question on how they found him since it has been the known truth that the man is dead and there is nothing in the past twenty years that could have pointed them to the location of the man, well its all a coincidence ... luck.

Aries, one of the members of the dayshift is working on a solo case on a jewelry shop robbery. Ecklie checked out on how he was doing since it is his first time to work on solo, Ecklie saw the photos on Aries' case and one picture caught his eye. The young man on the picture who looked exactly like Adam Copperfield. Ecklie used the young man's DNA and compared it with the DNA they found in the hair, and guess what as it turns out, the owner of the strand of hair and the young man is biologically related. When they went to see the young man's father, they brought with them a warrant to get his DNA, and as to what they have all anticipated ... it's a perfect match.

The man once known Adam Copperfield is now Patrick York.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me you have a new suspect?" Jim Brass' growling voice stunned the three CSIs.

"I told them not to tell ANY ONE" Ecklie replied as he walked towards Jim and the three younger investigators.

Jim turned his gaze towards Ecklie, "What's his name?"

"Patrick York"

Jim just nodded nonchalantly.

Ecklie sighed preparing for the worst, "Formerly known as Adam Copperfield"

With the mention of that name Jim's eyes widened and his mouth was hanging open, this look gave the three CSI's a surprise, they have never seen or even thought they could ever see Jim be this stunned, stunned and skeptical both at the same time.

"He never died" Ecklie answered Jim's unspoken question.

Jim glanced at the room, he moved Warrick and Sara out of his way and walked towards the door of the room, his eyes were blazing with fire. "Jim, No!" Ecklie stopped him; Warrick, Nick and two other police security helped them to stop Jim Brass from entering the said room.

Basing on the look in his eyes, surely the only reason he wants to enter that room is to kill the man inside.

"Could you please calm down? Look, I know you want to kill that man, and believe me when I tell you I want to kill him too but killing the guy won't do us any better."

After a few minutes Jim has calmed down. He looked back at the room where the man is. Adam or rather Patrick York is calmly seated inside with a slick look, he was grinning and whistling ... 'After twenty years and he still acts the same' Jim thought. Then something caught his attention, there was a calendar pinned on the wall right beside the door.

"Take that damn calendar down!" He ordered.

Warrick, Nick and Sara looked at him puzzled. "I said take it off!" Jim repeated, he sighed then he looked at the four Crime scene investigators, "Just don't let Catherine or Grissom know ... not just yet." Warrick, Nick and Sara all nodded.

"Jim!" the four investigators along with Jim Brass saw Catherine sauntering towards them.

"How the hell did she know?" Ecklie asked never taking his eyes off the strawberry blonde heading their way.

"Greg." Warrick and Sara replied in chorus.

"I heard you caught him" Catherine said, there was joy in her voice.

Before anyone could say anything, Catherine saw the person inside the room. The man is tall and rugged. She saw that the man is disabled, his right leg doesn't function anymore, but these physical changes did not hinder her to recognize who the man is. Those eyes, and that smirk in his face, she could never forget it. And to confirm her speculations, she glanced at the man's arm, and there she saw his tattoo. A very unique tattoo. That tattoo, the tattoo which in her eyes is a symbolism of evil.

Catherine looked at the other way, and she saw the calendar, right there in front of her in bold large letters, NOVEMBER.

It's the month of November. She glanced back at the man inside and back at the date, things of the past ran through her mind. The memories, the memories that she tried so hard to block away.

Catherine shook her head frantically; fear rushed in her veins. Her jaws is starting to shiver and in a second the whole of her is shivering and tears were falling out of her eyes.

The initial fear was soon replaced by worry.

"Catherine" the five people on her back tried to hold her but swatted their hands away. She grabbed her mobile phone and dialed that familiar number.

------------------------------

Grissom is parking his car; he has decided to talk to the director about his job. He knew he can't just sit there at home and wait; he walked towards the building and bumped into Greg.

"Gris, great to see yah!"

"Uh. You too Greg." He has never thought that it was possible for him to think that seeing Greg is great, but though it is truly unbelievable ... it is true.

"Guess you too are here to see the man huh"

"Man?"

"You don't have to play dumb, I know that the thing on the new suspect which is RELATED to you is top secret but every one in the lab knows about it."

"Where is he?"

"Funny. You're the third person to ask me that. Anyway, he's being interrogated by. By. By probably everyone, since every one is there."

------------------------------

Warrick, Nick, Sara, Jim and Ecklie all watched as Catherine continued to pace back and forth. They don't know what to do or how to react, in a split of second Catherine flipped.

"He's not answering the phone. Why is he not answering the phone?"

Catherine kept on pacing and crying with her phone on her hand.

"Gil please ... "Catherine pleaded.

"Grissom" As he answered his phone he saw Catherine, their eyes met, Catherine let go of her phone and ran towards Grissom.

"Gil!" Catherine cried. She ran to him, and then she embraced him tightly. She looked up to him, she held his face and tears were still pouring out her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, it was all my fault. I'm sorry!" Catherine sobbed. She kept on saying how sorry she was, she kept on talking ... or rather sobbing.

"Catherine. Catherine!" Grissom doesn't understand what was happening to her.

Catherine embraced him again not wanting to let go, he embraced her back, and tried to comfort her he has forgotten the reason of why he was there, all his thoughts is now on Catherine.

Catherine started to calm down a little; Warrick gave her a glass of water. Grissom looked at Brass hoping that he would tell him what was happening.

"They got the guy."

Grissom stood up, Brass and he walked over the corner, "Adam Copperfield." Brass stated.

And for the first time Grissom looked at the man on the other side of the room. Anger rushed through his nerves.

"Grissom, No!!!" Every body tried to hold him back, but his will to reach and kill the man was to strong that even the strength of five people were having a hard time holding him back. Ecklie and Brass, along with Nick, Warrick and Sara are holding him. Two of the police security blocked the door while the other one helped the group hold Gil back.

Grissom won't let them stop him and tried to reach inside the room.

"Gil, don't."

With the sound of her voice he stopped. He glanced at her; she looked at him then down to the floor and cried again. He reached her, and embraced her. He kissed the top of her forehead, then he lifts her up and they both walk away... away from everyone .... Away from him ... from the man inside that room.

"You three do the interrogation, I can't be inside the same room as that man, I might not control myself and kill him." Ecklie stated.

Ecklie and Jim watched from the one way mirror as Warrick, Nick and Sara talked to the suspect. After the interrogation, the three younger CSI's approached Jim.

"Jim, why is it that everybody seems to want to kill him?" Sara asked.

"Besides the fact that he has committed child molestation, multiple homicides, basically all the crimes you could ever do and got away with it." Nick said.

Jim sighed before he spoke and said, "I hate him because he attempted two things. Attempted murder ... and attempted rape."

TBC


	12. That night 1

A/N: Gosh, your reviews are all just so awesome! thanx for all of you who reads my stories and most especially the ones who leaves me with their reviews. Though I can't do anything about your request on things you would want to see for the next chap since... well.... this fic has been (I'm really gonna admit it) finished for about months now and is posted on a GC shipper fanfic site. Anyways, here is the 10th chap....

(disclaimer, spoilers etc... see prev chaps)

Chapter 10.1: That night 1

November 1983

Catherine is pacing back and forth around the kitchen. Eddie, her ex-boyfriend has been calling her and sending her flowers ... chocolates and letters. She has been trying to avoid him and tell him that everything is over between them coz she loves Gil and it would be that way forever.

Eddie just called her today, telling her that he would stop and all he asks is one meeting. Just one meeting and he's going to go. Catherine still hasn't figure out what to do, Gil has no idea about this since he has been very busy with the new case. And honestly, everybody has been busy with that case, including Catherine, and that's also one reason why she feels guilty. Coz everybody is doing their best for this case while here she is pacing around the kitchen thinking of her ex.

"Where's Cathie?" Grissom asked as he looked around the break room

"She went straight home from the crime scene, she's not feeling good" Gladys answered

Grissom's face was filled with worry so he quickly got in his car and went home

"Cathie" Grissom called as he entered the house

"Gil!" Catherine was surprised to see him there

"Are you okay?"

"Um. Yea."

"Gladys said – "

"Honey, I'm okay" With that Catherine gave him a smile and a light kiss on the lips.

"So, how's the case? Do we have him?"

"Thanks to the evidence you found, Brass is taking him in at the moment" Grissom said gladly. It took them weeks to find a strong enough evidence to convict the son of one of the richest business men on the state.

.... Two days later .....

Catherine decided not to meet Eddie, for her what's done is done and she has no plans on looking back on anything, except to that day when Gil confessed his feeling for her. Now all she sees is the present and the future she has and will have with Gil.

Right now she's alone in the house watching television, after that stressing case, Brass gave her a leave since too much stress will definitely not be good for his future god child.

Catherine stood up when the door bell rang.

"Gil, sweetie I told you I'll be okay I – "Catherine stopped mid sentence since the man standing on the door way is not Gil.

"Aren't you letting me in?"

"Eddie what are you doing here?"

"All I ask is one little talk Catherine"

Catherine rolled her eyes, she knew very well why he's there, he wants her back and he still believes that he has a chance, but well ... too bad... Coz he doesn't.

"Hey Gil!" Rick called

"Hey"

"He got out"

"Who?"

"Adam Copperfield busted out"

"Shit!"

Gil hurriedly ran to his car to get home. He is worried that the man will be out to get Catherine.

Eddie is holding Catherine's hands.

"Ed, I love Gil"

"Cath, don't you remember us back before"

"Not really"

"Cath come on!"

"Look Ed, Gil is everything to me ... I love him, he loves me, and we're having a baby .... I found with him everything and even more than I dreamed of. Please, be happy for me."

Eddie lifted his hands and touched Catherine's face. Catherine just closed her eyes, feeling sorry for him.

Gil arrived back home in record speed, he noticed a car parked in their driveway, he's worry just increased so he hurriedly got out the car and to the house, the door wasn't lock which only made him more worried, he entered the house with fear and bravery ... but the scene in front of him shattered him in a million pieces.

Eddie is cupping Catherine's face.

"What the hell!" Gil outraged. Catherine was surprised to see him there with his teeth clenched and fist ready to punch.

Eddie stood up. Grissom took large steps toward him and punched him across the face. Eddie punched him back, Catherine stopped Gil when he was about to punch Eddie once more.

"Eddie, please go!" Catherine begged as she tried to stop Gil from his outrage.

Eddie hurriedly got out of the house; as soon as the door closed Catherine switched her gaze to Gil.

"What did you think you were doing!?!" Catherine yelled

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

It was obvious for Catherine to see that suspicious and judging look in his eyes which caused her great hurt.

"He was just visiting"

"Your ex is visiting you in our house, and I come home with you in his arms!"

"I was not in his arms!" she objected

"Catherine – "

"You disappointed me! I can't believe you! I thought you trust me, I thought you know me, guess I was wrong" with that Catherine pushed him back and walked out the door.

Minutes later....

Gil started to calm down, he thought of what just happened and at that instant he knew he was wrong. Catherine loves him, and he trusts her, but the way he acted counter acted this truth. Gil stood up; he got his keys to search for his love that he knew he has hurt.

Catherine is now by the park, walking around and crying. She felt offended to the way he has acted. She is now on her way out the park, it's too late, no one is in sight, she started walking away from the park when she heard a car beeping at her.

Beep-beep

When she turned back, the car wasn't the same car she expected. A black porche stopped in front of her and soon she found herself face to face with the man whom they just got in to jail.

"Hello my dearest Catherine .."

TBC

evil laugh sooo.... what do you think??


	13. That night 2

A/N: Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! Sadly, this fic is nearing to the end, but anyways here is the second part of the 10th Chapter... hope you'll like it!! (disclaimer,spoilers,etc. see prev chaps)

Chapter 10.2: That night 2

"Wha.. what ... what are you doing here?" Catherine stammered, fear obvious to her features. She knew very well that the man standing before her is either the son of Satan or Satan himself.

"Aren't you happy to see me again?" he asked with an insolent look that seems to come to him naturally.

Catherine tried her best to be calm and silently prayed that somehow Gil will arrive...

Gil stopped on his way to the car he ran to the phone to call on Brass. He knew very well that there is a big possibility that Adam Copperfield is out to get Catherine and the best way he could protect his beloved fiancé is to get as many people on working as he could. Right after the rather very short talk with Brass, Gil hurriedly got into his car and drove ...

Adam snickered, then sighed and said, "You are damn beautiful". He started to walk towards Catherine and Catherine moved back.

Catherine was about to run, but Adam caught her wrist, Catherine tried to fight but what she got is a punch right on her stomach. Adam lifted her up, "Hey Eric, want to join me?" Adam called to his companion who is inside the car.

"No thanks man!"

"It's your lost!"

And with that he walked towards the park.

Gil is still driving around the block, thinking where Catherine could be, and then he thought of the park so he quickly made a u-turn and made his way to the park.

Arriving there, the park seemed different, it was lifeless unlike the usual time he came across and saw a lot of children playing and families having picnics. Now it was a dark and lonely park.

As he was observing the dark area, something caught his eye ... he saw a golden hair... a blonde hair ... her hair...

"No! No! Please!! Stop!!" Catherine tried to fight and beg but there was no stopping him. Adam ripped her clothes. He started tasting her, his lips traveled on her face and neck, he tried to kiss her on the lips but she never gave in.

Adam is straddling her, he got a grip on her wrist to stop her from punching him, he hold it high on top of her head then lowered his tongue to her lips. Catherine opened her mouth as if welcoming his tongue, and he accepted it Catherine bit his tongue. Because of this, Adam punched her on the face, "You bitch!" he screamed.

Adam again punched her on her stomach, this time the force of his punch made Catherine bleed.

"My baby!!" Catherine started to cry as she saw herself bleeding.

Gil got out of his car, he saw Adam and Catherine, and from his position he could see what the man is trying to do ...

"Catherine!!" he called as he run towards her.

"Prince Charming is here" Adam mocked.

Gil attacked the man. He grabbed his gun and shot him on the leg, he didn't want to kill him with a gun for he wanted him to suffer, so he punched him and continued until he was too weak. Gil straddled him on the floor and continued on his task, all he wanted was to kill the man.

Meanwhile, Catherine is crying as she saw more blood. She's been calling for Gil, her mind wasn't working, she couldn't think all she know is she needed him. Another sob and a scream of his name, Gil looked up and saw his Catherine helplessly bleeding.

Gil got up and went his way towards Catherine; when Gil got up Adam reached for his back pocket, and there he grabbed his knife.

Catherine saw Adam right behind Gil,

"Gil!" there was a look of terror in her eyes, and when Gil faced the other way the knife found its way to his chest.

Adam was about to give Gil another stab but he saw his friend calling him, "Adam! The police are coming!" Eric called. Adam glanced at the other direction and saw the sirens of the police.

When Brass got the call from Gil, he has told Rick, Marc, and Ecklie to help him and when he spotted the car with its familiar plate number he quickly dialed for back-up.

Eric got out of the car to help his friend and they sped off.

Gil was turning pale, Catherine is too weak too, but she tried to get near him. Catherine crawled her way to his side, "Gil!" she cried. She cupped his face into her hands, she gave him a kiss while tears continually fell from her eyes, "Gil, please stay with me!" she begged.

At the hospital ....

Catherine was too weak she fought for her consciousness she didn't want to fall asleep. Images of that night are hunting her. She was nearly raped but her trauma has not ended up to there. Soon images of her bleeding, of her child dying inside her hunted her and was followed by the image of Gil loosing color and bleeding to death.

Gil on the other hand is in critical condition, the knife was only an inch away from his heart, he was lucky.

Catherine is lying on the hospital bed, the doctors has just gave her tranquilizer to make her sleep, if it was any one else, they would have dozed off... but not Catherine, she couldn't sleep, she couldn't close her eyes. Gladys and Dr. Al were the only ones there, for the reason that everybody else was out hunting Adam Copperfield down. Not to the reason that he has escaped but more of because of what he did to Catherine and Grissom.

When Brass, Ecklie, Rick, and Marc arrived and saw Grissom dying and Catherine with the same status, anger rushed into their nerves. Every one who was there was deeply bothered of the sight.

A woman bleeding and weeping for both her lover and child, and a man desperately trying to fight for his life. Who wouldn't be affected?

"Gil! Where's Gil? Gil!" Catherine kept calling out for his name, she's been fighting the medicine but it was of no use ... soon she started drifting off to sleep, but up to the last minute of her consciousness, she was calling for his name.

Brass received a call saying that they found the car; apparently it has crashed and fell from a cliff. They found Eric's body, but they never found Adam's body. And judging from the car appearance, it is impossible for anyone who could have survived.

Brass, Rick, Marc and Ecklie all went to the hospital to see how Catherine and Gil were doing. According to the doctor, Gil nearly died but he fought hard, he never saw anyone who had that kind of will to live.

Catherine on the other hand lost the baby. According to the doctor it would be a great idea if they refer her to a psychologist. A woman, who was nearly rapped, saw how her lover almost died and lost her child would surely need some help for emotional stability.

All of them just sighed, Gil is sound asleep and is already recovering, Catherine is asleep to but as it seems, sleeping will not do good for Catherine. She's whimpering in her sleep, and God knows what she's going through in her head.

The next day....

Gil woke up, he wanted to see Catherine, and though Catherine was already wide awake, she wasn't speaking. She's staring blankly into space and tears are falling on the sides of her eyes. Memories of last evening is hunting her, but most of all, the memory of the death of her child, the child she would never see is hunting her conscience.

Catherine blamed herself; she blamed herself that she almost got rapped. She blamed herself that her child died; she blamed herself that Gil almost lost his life.

Gil on the other hand, couldn't take the sight of what has happened to Catherine. He too blamed himself, it was his entire fault, and he knew that whatever he does nothing would make things better.

At that moment all of them have one dream, all of them have one goal and that is to forget that night ...

That night when Gil almost lost his life and Catherine almost lost her sanity.

TBC


	14. Waking in his arms again

A/N: Thank you so so much for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are great, and so here's another chapter. This is actually the second to the last... : (

Chapter 11: Waking in his arms again

Catherine just woke up, she has yet opened her eyes but she feels rather different. She feels warm, and she could smell the scent of .... Him.

Memories of the previous day came flashing back to her mind. She saw Adam Copperfield again, she panicked, and flipped, she was scared ... she was scared for Gil. Then he came, he wanted to kill him, and she knows why, he wanted to kill him ... for her. She stopped him, and so he obeyed, he took her in his arms and they walked away, he took her home with him, and now she's lain naked in his bed beside his naked body. She could feel his chest just beside her back; she has been using his arm as pillow, while his other arm is securely wrapped around her body.

A smile crept on her face and a tear rolled down her cheek. After twenty years, here she is in his arms. Once again after a very long time, she felt joy and security, but at the same time she's feeling regret.

To wake up in his arms... she's been aching for it for a long time now and right here right now, thinking about it, that aching shall have never happened. If that incident didn't happen, then all those nights she wasted imagining and aching for his touch should have been times spent with him, not imaginatively but for real. As Catherine closed her eyes again, trying to savor that moment, the after math of the incident replayed in her mind.

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November 1983

Catherine and Grissom are now back in their house, Catherine has been sleeping in the nursery room .... The room of the child they were suppose to have; she's been sleeping there since they went back from the hospital. And every time, Gil wanted to take her in his arms, to comfort her and tell her it's all going to be okay, he couldn't do it.

Gil is standing on the opposite side of the door of the nursery room. He lifted his hand and reached for the knob, and right before he could turn it open, he stopped ... he can't.

He knows he could not contain the sight of the pain he has caused her.

Later that after noon Catherine woke up and walked around the house. A few months ago they have decided that she won't move in until the wedding, but ever since they found out of her pregnancy they both willingly agreed to move in together.

Catherine walked over their room; she opened the door and saw Gil asleep. She could see that he looks tired, she knows that he's worried about her, but what she want to know is if he is blaming her for the death of their child... and for his life which he almost lost... but there is only one thing Catherine knows for certain, that she blames herself for every single one of it.

She should have never let Eddie stayed there, she should have not left, she should have went back to Gil after a few minutes, she should have not kept secret about Eddie bothering her, from Gil. All these are things she should have not done, but she did, all those are choices she made in the past and all those are the mistakes with consequences she is facing at the present, and she is sure that this will be the same things she'll be regretting in the future.

After three days .....

"Catherine"

"Hey" she gave him a light smile; Gil took a deep breath before taking his seat beside her.

"Just one more week"

"Gil, I don't think I'm ready. I don't think we're ready"

"What are you saying?"

"Postpone the wedding."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, Gil, I was very sure and ready and excited to marry you, but. But, a lot of things have happened; we haven't even spoken to each other for a week till now!"

"I guess you're right"

"And, Gil. I think we need space"

"What are you saying? Are you breaking up with me?"

"No! I just think we both need some space"

"I'm being offered to hold a seminar in San Francisco"

"Take it!"

Gil looked at her eyes to see if she's sure about all of this, and as reflected in her eyes, she is. Gil lightly nodded and agreed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catherine slowly got out from his embrace, though she didn't want to, she knows she has to. She gathered her clothes from the floor and quickly got dress and left with one plan in mind ... to forget all about it, forget about the past and forget about last night.

But above it all, there is one question hanging in her mind... why is it that she always has to forget the most magical things and best memories of her life?

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June 1984

Gil walked in the house he has bought for him and Catherine, it has been months since he has been here, a lot of memories came back to him, good and bad ones ... and now he is feeling some kind of a heartache caused by, no not the bad memories but of the best ones he could never go back to.

A few years before when he had met Catherine, she was already engaged to Eddie, but before she gets married she wanted to finish school first. When she finished school, she entered CSI and her friendship with Gil went a little deeper than both of them anticipated. She broke up with Eddie a day before Gil confessed his feelings for her. After a few months she finally told him how she really felt, their relationship from good became better and it became the best. An incident ruined everything .... He left for them to have space ... a space which they both needed, but never did he thought that the result would be something he has never even wanted to think of...

Now that he is back, he found himself on the same situation when he met Catherine. Catherine is engaged ... with Eddie.

But this time, this time he knew the tables won't be turned anymore, they were given one chance and they lost it all.

Gil walked out the house, he locked the door, and with one last glance before he sells the house the one he thought would be his home, he sighed and thought maybe it wasn't meant to be, Gil climbed up his car and sped off.

Arriving to his destination, he parked the car and went inside the little chapel, he stood with the little crowd and watched the love of his life promise her forever love to another man.

TBC

A/N: You ready to read the last part!?


	15. Twenty one years later

A/N: As promised this is the last chapter, forgive me if it's a little too mushy for your taste, but I can't help it if I'm a sucker for a happy ending! Thanks a lot to all of you who reads my fic and most especially to those who sends me their review. I hope you'll love it!

(disclaimer, spoilers, etc.. see prev chaps)

Chapter 12: Twenty one years later

Sara, Warrick, Nick and Catherine are all seated inside the break room with their cup of coffee all engaged to a conversation about Adam Copperfield when Jim Brass walked in.

"Hey Brass" all greeted Jim.

"Are you guys going to watch Copperfield's execution?" Sara asked

"Of course" Nick replied

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. What about you Cath?" Warrick asked

"No."

None of them dared to ask why or even considered convincing her.

"The gang would be coming tonight, for the CSI get together on Thursday, Ecklie is picking Rick up at the airport, the others are already checked in at the hotel. Want to come with me and see them?" Brass offered

"No thanks, I have somewhere else to go to." Catherine sighed, and then gave a light smile to her co workers before standing up. When she was on her way out the door, Gil was on his way in.

"Oh. Um. Excuse me" Catherine said with her eyes focused on the floor, not bothering to glance at the man she almost bumped to.

Catherine got out of her car and walked towards the edifice has not been on for years. She walked inside, and for the first time in twenty one years, she finally got the courage to come there. She walked forward with her eyes never leaving the altar. When she finally stopped, she took her seat and sighed.

It has been one week since that day when she woke up in his arms and since that day she has been ignoring and avoiding him. Acting like nothing happened that night, acting like nothing ever happened to them at all in the past, just causes her heart to ache and the best way to stop it from hurting is to just avoid him.

For the past years thinking that it never happened, or rather, not thinking about it at all has been a very successful way of having some kind of peace of mind. That incident on that night of November 1983 was just unbearable to have in her memory that the only way she could deal with it is to pretend that, that and everything else never happened, and frankly what made the memory of that incident painful is not really the incident itself, but what happened afterwards. Everything was wonderful, nothing could ever match the kind of happiness she found, and if she keeps it in her memory that once, a long, long time ago she has experienced to love and to be loved truly, would of course make her smile but the smile would soon fade coz whether she admits it or not knowing that she lost all of that makes her heart bleed.

What she thought she has already moved on from is still there. The wound may not be as fresh, but the mark of the cut is still there. There in her heart, though she has tried to deny and hide it, the scar of the past has remained.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------December 1983

One week ago Catherine told Gil that they both need space, and now he's already in the plane on his way to San Francisco.

Just last month, this day was Catherine's most anticipated day. At this exact day and time, she was suppose to be walking down the aisle in a striking white gown, with her friends and loved ones sitting on the bench watching her walk towards the altar where the love of her life is waiting for her.

Instead, here she is at the same place, but not in a wedding gown but in casual denims, blouse and a white coat.

She isn't walking down the aisle, she's sitting on the bench.

She isn't staring into those blue eyes she love very much, coz here she is staring blankly in the space.

And most of all, she's here talking to God, no, not to take a vow and undergo the sacrament of matrimony but to pray that everything will be alright.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty one years ago, she was seated at this very same spot, December of 1983 .... and a year after, she got married, no not in this church but to a small chapel. Tears again starting to roll down her eyes, she never expected she would have to face her fairy tale love life which ended up like a nightmare ever again.

As she was wiping her tears away, she felt a hand touched her shoulder; she didn't need to turn around to know who it is.

"What are you doing here?"

"To come for you"

The man behind her removed his hands from her shoulder and walked over to sit beside her. Staring at the altar, he asked, "Why did you marry Eddie?"

"Gil, when I was getting married with Eddie years ago, you already asked me that, and I have told you already and the answer is still the same"

"But you never did answer me, all you told me is to leave you."

"And you did."

"And you married him. A year before that you told me you love me yet you married another man"

"I never loved anyone the way I loved you. "

"Then, why - "

"Coz I was scared and I blamed myself for what I put you through!"

"I told you I'm coming back"

"You did, but I wasn't sure if you are coming back TO me."

"You didn't have enough faith in me?"

"No not that. It's just that I loved you too much. Too much that I wanted the best for you, and that's to give you up."

With that statement, Gil turned his gaze to the woman beside him. Catherine is still gazing forward, "You never called me when you were in San Francisco, that's when I thought that you would be better off without me. I hated myself when you almost died, you almost lost your life, I almost completely lost you. I felt like I wasn't worthy to have you." Catherine turned her gaze to Gil; they looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment then looked away.

"When I was in San Francisco, I never called coz I want you to have the space you wanted to have. I was also scared to come back, I wasn't sure if you'd want me back, I wanted the best for you, and one incident turned both of our lives upside down and I thought you were blaming me ... and I blamed myself too, I call on Brass to ask how you're doing that's when I learned you're with Eddie again."

"I used him to get over everything. I accepted the fact that I lost you as my lover, I didn't want to loose you as my friend, and I thought Eddie could help me throught that. And about the incident well thinking about it now, that incident wasn't either of ours' fault, but the after math of it ... well that's our mistake, we should have talked about it, instead we assumed and decided on what's best for each other, on our own"

"Well, it seems like we've been thinking of the same thing all along"

"Yea"

Gil looked at Catherine then said, "I still love you. I've watched you go in and out of relationships with other men wondering when you will ever come back to me"

Catherine looked back at Gil, "I've been entering relationships coz I wanted to find love and security, and I do, it's just that it never made me happy, I was never contented. There's always something missing. It's so hard to stick on with the average once you've felt how it is to have the best."

"Why else do you think I never looked for anyone else?"

"Coz I traumatized you!" Catherine joked, though it was half meant.

She was not sure how this talk will end, or to where it is heading. She wasn't even sure if what's happening is for real or if she's imagining things, what she wants right now is to make the atmosphere lighter.

Gil rolled his eyes playfully, "No!" and gave a little chuckle. "I have found in you all I'm looking for, and I've been regretting the day I lost you all this years."

"It looks like we've been feeling and thinking of the same thing again!"

"Are you thinking of what I'm thinking now?"

"I'm not sure. Well, what are you thinking about?"

"Marrying you"

Catherine chuckled and looked away, if it is a joke, it's a very bad one, coz it hurts.

"Several years before, in one of our conversations, you told me you'd marry me no matter what."

"Gil quit teasing; let's go meet Brass, his with the old team right now." Catherine stood up, as she walked pass Gil, Gil grabbed her hand, he stood up and he pulled her back to him and crashed his lips to hers.

Catherine was taken by surprise, and in a matter of moments she melted in his kiss. Gil's hand traveled around her back, he pulled her closer to him and deepens the kiss. The kiss was full of passion, of the long years of longing and desire ...

After some minutes, they stopped to get some air, "I was not kidding."

"Please don't say it if you don't mean it, coz I might do something crazy like believe it."

"Believe it." He said firmly.

A grin spread across Catherine's face and tears started to form behind her eyes, she cupped his face, and she touched it and stared at him for a moment. "I never stopped from loving you"

"Does this mean it's a yes?"

"It was a yes several years ago and it still is."

"Is it okay if we get married now, even without preparations?"

Catherine nodded, "I never want to loose you again"

"You never lost me. When I gave my whole heart and self to you I never got the chance to get it back."

Again they closed the distance of their lips. When they stopped, Gil looked at her and promised, "After today, we'll get married again, with gowns and tux and a reception, but right now I just want you to be my wife."

"Believe me that's what I want too. But we need rings."

"You think I came here unprepared?" Gil feigned disappointment. He reached from his pocket and retrieved a box which held two gold band rings.

"This are -"

"Our wedding rings, I kept it."

Catherine giggled and kissed Gil on the cheek. "You are unbelievable!" Gil chuckled as they both stared at the rings.

"You think it still fits?"

"Hopefully! Anyway if it doesn't, it won't matter we'll buy new wedding rings to our next wedding."

Catherine and Gil went to the Parish office which has just opened, and luckily the papers which they have submitted years ago in preparation of their wedding were still there.

After the ceremony, as they walked out the church hand in hand with perfect fitting wedding rings on their fingers ....

"So Mrs. Grissom, what are we going to do now?"

"Well. We'll go meet my daughter to tell her the news"

"And our honeymoon?"

"We'll have a honeymoon for the rest of our lives"

Gil chuckled, and then he took a pause from walking and pulled her to him and gave her a light kiss on the lips.

Looking into Gil's eyes, she glanced back at the church then back to her husband, "We promised to get married at this exact place and day twenty one years ago."

"And we did ... twenty one years later."

END

Sara, Warrick, Nick and Catherine are all seated inside the break room with their cup of coffee all engaged to a conversation about Adam Copperfield when Jim Brass walked in.

"Hey Brass" all greeted Jim.

"Are you guys going to watch Copperfield's execution?" Sara asked

"Of course" Nick replied

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. What about you Cath?" Warrick asked

"No."

None of them dared to ask why or even considered convincing her.

"The gang would be coming tonight, for the CSI get together on Thursday, Ecklie is picking Rick up at the airport, the others are already checked in at the hotel. Want to come with me and see them?" Brass offered

"No thanks, I have somewhere else to go to." Catherine sighed, and then gave a light smile to her co workers before standing up. When she was on her way out the door, Gil was on his way in.

"Oh. Um. Excuse me" Catherine said with her eyes focused on the floor, not bothering to glance at the man she almost bumped to.

Catherine got out of her car and walked towards the edifice has not been on for years. She walked inside, and for the first time in twenty one years, she finally got the courage to come there. She walked forward with her eyes never leaving the altar. When she finally stopped, she took her seat and sighed.

It has been one week since that day when she woke up in his arms and since that day she has been ignoring and avoiding him. Acting like nothing happened that night, acting like nothing ever happened to them at all in the past, just causes her heart to ache and the best way to stop it from hurting is to just avoid him.

For the past years thinking that it never happened, or rather, not thinking about it at all has been a very successful way of having some kind of peace of mind. That incident on that night of November 1983 was just unbearable to have in her memory that the only way she could deal with it is to pretend that, that and everything else never happened, and frankly what made the memory of that incident painful is not really the incident itself, but what happened afterwards. Everything was wonderful, nothing could ever match the kind of happiness she found, and if she keeps it in her memory that once, a long, long time ago she has experienced to love and to be loved truly, would of course make her smile but the smile would soon fade coz whether she admits it or not knowing that she lost all of that makes her heart bleed.

What she thought she has already moved on from is still there. The wound may not be as fresh, but the mark of the cut is still there. There in her heart, though she has tried to deny and hide it, the scar of the past has remained.

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December 1983

One week ago Catherine told Gil that they both need space, and now he's already in the plane on his way to San Francisco.

Just last month, this day was Catherine's most anticipated day. At this exact day and time, she was suppose to be walking down the aisle in a striking white gown, with her friends and loved ones sitting on the bench watching her walk towards the altar where the love of her life is waiting for her.

Instead, here she is at the same place, but not in a wedding gown but in casual denims, blouse and a white coat.

She isn't walking down the aisle, she's sitting on the bench.

She isn't staring into those blue eyes she love very much, coz here she is staring blankly in the space.

And most of all, she's here talking to God, no, not to take a vow and undergo the sacrament of matrimony but to pray that everything will be alright.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty one years ago, she was seated at this very same spot, December of 1983 .... and a year after, she got married, no not in this church but to a small chapel. Tears again starting to roll down her eyes, she never expected she would have to face her fairy tale love life which ended up like a nightmare ever again.

As she was wiping her tears away, she felt a hand touched her shoulder; she didn't need to turn around to know who it is.

"What are you doing here?"

"To come for you"

The man behind her removed his hands from her shoulder and walked over to sit beside her. Staring at the altar, he asked, "Why did you marry Eddie?"

"Gil, when I was getting married with Eddie years ago, you already asked me that, and I have told you already and the answer is still the same"

"But you never did answer me, all you told me is to leave you."

"And you did."

"And you married him. A year before that you told me you love me yet you married another man"

"I never loved anyone the way I loved you. "

"Then, why - "

"Coz I was scared and I blamed myself for what I put you through!"

"I told you I'm coming back"

"You did, but I wasn't sure if you are coming back TO me."

"You didn't have enough faith in me?"

"No not that. It's just that I loved you too much. Too much that I wanted the best for you, and that's to give you up."

With that statement, Gil turned his gaze to the woman beside him. Catherine is still gazing forward, "You never called me when you were in San Francisco, that's when I thought that you would be better off without me. I hated myself when you almost died, you almost lost your life, I almost completely lost you. I felt like I wasn't worthy to have you." Catherine turned her gaze to Gil; they looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment then looked away.

"When I was in San Francisco, I never called coz I want you to have the space you wanted to have. I was also scared to come back, I wasn't sure if you'd want me back, I wanted the best for you, and one incident turned both of our lives upside down and I thought you were blaming me ... and I blamed myself too, I call on Brass to ask how you're doing that's when I learned you're with Eddie again."

"I used him to get over everything. I accepted the fact that I lost you as my lover, I didn't want to loose you as my friend, and I thought Eddie could help me throught that. And about the incident well thinking about it now, that incident wasn't either of ours' fault, but the after math of it ... well that's our mistake, we should have talked about it, instead we assumed and decided on what's best for each other, on our own"

"Well, it seems like we've been thinking of the same thing all along"

"Yea"

Gil looked at Catherine then said, "I still love you. I've watched you go in and out of relationships with other men wondering when you will ever come back to me"

Catherine looked back at Gil, "I've been entering relationships coz I wanted to find love and security, and I do, it's just that it never made me happy, I was never contented. There's always something missing. It's so hard to stick on with the average once you've felt how it is to have the best."

"Why else do you think I never looked for anyone else?"

"Coz I traumatized you!" Catherine joked, though it was half meant.

She was not sure how this talk will end, or to where it is heading. She wasn't even sure if what's happening is for real or if she's imagining things, what she wants right now is to make the atmosphere lighter.

Gil rolled his eyes playfully, "No!" and gave a little chuckle. "I have found in you all I'm looking for, and I've been regretting the day I lost you all this years."

"It looks like we've been feeling and thinking of the same thing again!"

"Are you thinking of what I'm thinking now?"

"I'm not sure. Well, what are you thinking about?"

"Marrying you"

Catherine chuckled and looked away, if it is a joke, it's a very bad one, coz it hurts.

"Several years before, in one of our conversations, you told me you'd marry me no matter what."

"Gil quit teasing; let's go meet Brass, his with the old team right now." Catherine stood up, as she walked pass Gil, Gil grabbed her hand, he stood up and he pulled her back to him and crashed his lips to hers.

Catherine was taken by surprise, and in a matter of moments she melted in his kiss. Gil's hand traveled around her back, he pulled her closer to him and deepens the kiss. The kiss was full of passion, of the long years of longing and desire ...

After some minutes, they stopped to get some air, "I was not kidding."

"Please don't say it if you don't mean it, coz I might do something crazy like believe it."

"Believe it." He said firmly.

A grin spread across Catherine's face and tears started to form behind her eyes, she cupped his face, and she touched it and stared at him for a moment. "I never stopped from loving you"

"Does this mean it's a yes?"

"It was a yes several years ago and it still is."

"Is it okay if we get married now, even without preparations?"

Catherine nodded, "I never want to loose you again"

"You never lost me. When I gave my whole heart and self to you I never got the chance to get it back."

Again they closed the distance of their lips. When they stopped, Gil looked at her and promised, "After today, we'll get married again, with gowns and tux and a reception, but right now I just want you to be my wife."

"Believe me that's what I want too. But we need rings."

"You think I came here unprepared?" Gil feigned disappointment. He reached from his pocket and retrieved a box which held two gold band rings.

"This are -"

"Our wedding rings, I kept it."

Catherine giggled and kissed Gil on the cheek. "You are unbelievable!" Gil chuckled as they both stared at the rings.

"You think it still fits?"

"Hopefully! Anyway if it doesn't, it won't matter we'll buy new wedding rings to our next wedding."

Catherine and Gil went to the Parish office which has just opened, and luckily the papers which they have submitted years ago in preparation of their wedding were still there.

After the ceremony, as they walked out the church hand in hand with perfect fitting wedding rings on their fingers ....

"So Mrs. Grissom, what are we going to do now?"

"Well. We'll go meet my daughter to tell her the news"

"And our honeymoon?"

"We'll have a honeymoon for the rest of our lives"

Gil chuckled, and then he took a pause from walking and pulled her to him and gave her a light kiss on the lips.

Looking into Gil's eyes, she glanced back at the church then back to her husband, "We promised to get married at this exact place and day twenty one years ago."

"And we did ... twenty one years later."

END


End file.
